NYC COVID-19 infection rate remains above 2 pct: mayor

NEW YORK, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 infection rate was 2.52 percent on a 7-day average in New York City, up from 2.31 percent one day earlier, tweeted Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday.

The rate has lingered over 2 percent for days, gradually edging toward 3 percent, the mark that the mayor once said would certify an arrival of a second wave of the pandemic in the city.

"This is our LAST chance to stop a second wave. We can do it, but we have to act NOW," the mayor said after posting the latest rate.

On Tuesday, he also highlighted the severity of the coronavirus, tweeting that "Our country just saw more than 61,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations in one day. One. Day. This crisis isn't over. Not even close. This is our last chance to stop a second wave in New York City. We know the consequences if we don't."

Up to Tuesday, there were 24,087 coronavirus deaths and 272,583 confirmed cases in New York City, according to The City, a project that tracks the spread of confirmed COVID-19 infections and fatalities in New York City, based on information provided by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the governor's office, The COVID Tracking Project and the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.